Does checking your credit score, make it it go down?

My mom want to buy me N iPhone but dosnt want to sign a contract to get it cheaper because she's afraid her credit will go down cause they have to check credit. She dosnt have the best of credit so. Will it lower it?

Bad credit ratings only occur when the purchaser -your mother- does not pay off the phone within the time stated on the contract. In no way can her credit be negatively impacted if she pays the phone off in the designated times.

It does affect your score if you have many companies running your credit in a short time span. For example If you get your score ran by 4 car companies in one day the creditors perceive that you didn't go with the other companies because you we're denied or you can't afford what you had in mind so they can adjust your score based in denied amounts. They figure you're unreliable for that amount. But if she hasn't had her credit ran in weeks or months by multiple parties it has no affect especially if she does make the purchase thereafter.

There are 2 types of credit checks soft and hard. Only hard inquiries hurt your credit and those only occur when people actually apply for credit.

If you check your own score or if a current creditor checks it or a insurance company etc.those are soft inquiries and do not effect your score.

And just so you will know anytime people apply for vehicle or mortgage loans all inquiries made in a 30-day period are lumped together and only count as 1 inquiry. They all show but your credit only takes one hit.

Obviously some people don't understand this concept.

A credit score is based on a 12 month activity and goes up 5 to 10% per month providing you are paying on time. If they approve you based on her income, the most she would lose is about 2/3 points which would bounce back up in 30 days